3rd Annual Montserrat Calabash Festival 2008 winds down (updated)

Montserrat

updated July 24, 2008

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Guess which Caribbean island had the biggest Jazz event of last weekend?  OK, there was Jazz happening everywhere.  But would you have guessed that Montserrat hosted Paul Lunga on Sunday, July 20?  I guess not.

 

Trumpeter Paul Lunga, known in his native Zimbabwe as the “King of the Jazz Horns” headlined a cast of artistes including musicians, singers and dancers at The Night of Opera and Jazz at the Montserrat Cultural Centre. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Montserrat Cultural Centre 

 

The Cultural Centre, a $M2 gift from Sir George Martin to the people of Montserrat, was opened by the former Beatles producer in May of last year.  The 700 seat performance space is situated in Little Bay, which the residents plan to transform into a new urban center.

 

The concert brought the curtains down on a week of recreational, educational and cultural activities held under the banner of the Annual Montserrat Calabash Festival.  Now in its third year, the festival was conceptualised to bring greater attention to the calabash and to draw more visitors to the island in this the slow tourist season.

 

The calabash is an inedible fruit that has had a central place in the heritage of not only of the Montserratian people, but that all of our Caribbean forebears.  The calabash was variously used as eating and storage utensils and musical instruments.  And artisans sourced it as a raw material for ornamental artifacts and decorations.

 

The other performers on the bill were saxophonist Tony Chambers out of North Carolina and some classy locals like poet Shirley Spycalla, Beth Brewer, McLoyd White and the Cultural Dancers.

 

Paul Lunga has performed with Jazz icons Hugh Masekela and Abdullah Ibrahim, among others, and for audiences in England, Germany, France, the Netherlands and the United States.  However, on Sunday night, he played for a proud people who, in spite of a country devastated by the Soufriere Hills volcano, could find the inspiration and the resolve to lift themselves out of the ashes.  And what better way to do so but to celebrate their culture, heritage and history by making that vital connection with the African motherland.

 

Cathy Buffonge covered the Calabash Festival for Caribbean Net News.  In a piece entitled “Calabash festival highlights the best of Montserrat” published on Wednesday, July 23, she commented: “The last event on the calendar was a “Night of Opera and Jazz”, featuring exciting jazz performances by international jazz musician Paul Lunga of Zimbabwe on the trumpet, and prize winning saxophonist Tony Chambers of (North) Carolina.  Several local performers also took part.  Local band Black Rhythms was outstanding in backing up Mr Lunga’s jazz numbers.”

Jazz musican Paul Lunga

Photo by Pat “Belonger” Ryan for Caribbean Net News